Rail anchor



H. G. WARR.

RAIL ANCHOR.

I TION FILED AUG-17,1925- I APPL CA 1,419,333, Patented June 13, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEE H. G. WARR.

RAlL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.17,1921.

1,41 9,333, Patentd June 13,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD G. WARR, 0F PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE P & M COANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

- RAIL ANCHOR.

To all 10 ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD G. 'WARR, a citizen of the United States, residin at Park Ridge, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail anchoring devices and has for its principal object, the provision of a new and improved one-piece rail anchor which may be formed from a blank of such configuration as will effect a substantial saving in material without sacrificing the strength and rigidity required of devices of this character, and which will minimize the wear on the dies or other deembrace the base flange of a rail, which will be easy of application, and which, when ap-' plied, will maintain a firm' grip on the opposite edges of the rail base and increase its grip thereon when it is subjected to a creeping pressure of the rail.

The invention consists in the provision of a new and improved one-piece anchor, constructed as hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description. v

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rail anchor constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the device applied in its operative position on the base of a rail.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the tie of the previous figure being omitted for the purpose of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the rail anchor.

Fig. 4 is a view showin several of the blanks from which rail anc ors of the type Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11mg 13, 1922,

Application filed August 17, 1921. Serial No. 493,100.

illustrated in the preceding figures are formed.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of rail anchor showing thesame applied to a rail.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the anchor shown in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a view showing the-outline of several blanks from which rail anchors of the type shown in Fig. 6 may be formed.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several-figures of the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, wherein I have shown a 'rail anchor consisting of a body portion 10 formed at one end with a recess 11 toprovide a jaw portion 12 adapted to engage one edge of a rail base, and bent to provide a tie abutment designated generally by the reference character 13. The other-end of the anchor is formed with a recess 14 (Fig. 4:) which provides a jaw portion 15 adapted to abut against the other edge of the rail base, and to also provide a spring tongue portion 16 which extends outwardly toward the end of the anchor and extends preferably toward the tie 17 in engagement with the upper surface 18 of the rail base. The recess 14 preferably extends beyond the vertical shoulder.

15 as indicated at l lfiso as to permit the tongue to be bent'at a point intermediate the shoulder 15 and the end of the anchor, thereby providing suflicient clearance between the bend 19 of the tongue and the adjacent edge of the rail to permit the anchor to be readily applied. The free end of the tongue is preferably formed with a curve 20 and the lower edge of this portion of the tongue inclines so as to provide a firm bearing surface adapted to bear against the inclined surface of the rail base when the anchor is in its applied position. The upper edge of the tongue inclines downwardly toward the end, as indicated, at 21, to provide a cam surface adapted to engage with the edge of the rail base and force the tongue 16 outwardly during the application of the device to the rail.

The tie abutment consists of a post portion 22 and a tie abutment 23. The post portion is preferably formed so that when jaw portion 12 is hooked over one ed metal sumed by the anchor in its operative position.

Rail anchors of the above form are preferably made from blanks having the nesting configuration SllOWlhlIl Fig. 4, so that they may be conveniently and economically stamped or otherwise formed from a fiat metal strip, and then bent to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. Each of the blanks designated A, B, C and D in Fig. 4 is made,

preferably, by two successive shearing cuts, one of which forms one or'more projections on the sheared edge or adj acentthe shearing line of the next succeeding blank and the other of which cuts oif said projections. The shearing dies (not shown) are prefera-. bly of a configuration corresponding to the shape of the blank. When forming the firstblank from a metal sheet, for example blank A of Fig. 4, the sheet is positioned.

between the shearing dies so that the shaded ortions E, F, will be cut off, thereby eaving a projection G on the sheared edge. The metal sheet is then positioned between the dies so that the next shearing operation cuts off the projection Gr along the bottom line H and also cuts along the full line I.- This cut severs one finished blank from the metal sheet and forms the projection .G sheet. The metal sheet may then be positioned between the dies, so that each successive shearing operation will sever a completed blank from the sheet and .form a projection on the sheared edge of the sheet stock, as above described. The outline of the blanks is such that one shearing line, or a portion thereof, disposed at an angle to another, will not form relatively long pointed portions, or sharp acute angles forming fins, likely to be drawn into the dies, produce excessive wear on the dies or shearing mechanism, or other; wise interfere with the formation of a clean out edge: The sprin%tongue portion 16 of the anchor shown in igs. 1, 2 and 3,

formed from metal intervenportion 12 and -wthe" shoulder 15 (Fig. 4:), therebyminimizing the loss of metal incident to forming the rail base receiving recess of the anchor. By forming the spring tongue in'this manner and then bending it outwardly to :the position shown in'Figs. 1 and 2, the anchor may be formed from a relatively narrow strip of metal. i

In applying the anchor to a rail, thg

e o a rail base in a position substantial y as shown by thedot-and-dash lines in Fig.

is preferably ing the jaw 1, in which position the tie-abutting foot edge 18 of the base.

on the edge of themetal 23 willbe a short distance away from the the tongue 16 will extend a short distance under the base of the rail with its cam surface 21 preferably engaging the edge thereof. The tongue end of the anchor may then be raised to bring the shoulder 15 adjacent the edge of the rail. This may be accomplished by the use of a tool (not shown) of any construction suitable for raising the tongue end until the lower edge of the tongue clears the upper edge of the rail base. The cam surface 21 of the tongue, bearing against the edge of the rail during the raising of this end of the anchor, will force the tongue 16 outwardly and when the lower edgeof the tongue clears the upper edge of the rail base, the tongue will snap into a position over the upper The tongue end of the anchor may then be driven toward the tie 17 to its operative position, as shown in full lines in Fig. the tie-abutting tie and the spring tongue will exert a lateral spring pressure against the inclined surface 18 of the rail base. The raisingof the tongue 16 in the above manner will 1, in which position foot will engage with the.

also subject the body 10 to a twisting strain,

when the anchor is in its applied position, so as to exert vertical spring ressure against the upper and lower sur aces of the rail base. When the anchor is in its operativeposition, it normally extends in a slight diagonal position across the rail base, so that when the anchor is subjected to a creeping pressure of the rail, the jaws 12 and 15 will take a firm shackle hold on opposite edges of the rail base.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I have shown a rail anchor of somewhat different outline from that shown in the preceding figures. In

this form of anchor the spring tongue 24,.

instead of being formed by being bent outwardly toward the end of the anchor, as shown in the preceding figures, is .bent inwardly so as to project over the edge of the rail. when the anchor is in its applied position. The blanks from which anchorsof' this form may be made are shown inFig. 7 and like the blanks shown in Fig. 6, have a configuration which avoids the formation of sharp pointed portions divergin from the shearing lines 25, 26 of the adjacent blank.

The advantages obtained in the; manufacture of rail anchors by forming the metal blanks so that the shearing line of the blank will not merge into the edge of the stock from which the blanks are out in a manner to provide sharp pointed portions is not limited to the particular forms of tion formed at one end with means for engaging a rail at one side thereof and at the other end with a tongue bent outwardly toward the end of the device and adapted to be strained when the anchor is applied ,to a rail.

2. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base and at the other end with a tongue bentoutwardly toward the end of the device and adapted to engage the other edge of the rail; said tongue and means being positioned so that they are forced apart when the anchor is applied to a rail.

3. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base and at the other end with a tongue bent outwardly toward the end of the device and adapted to engage the other edge of the rail; said tongue and means being positioned so that they are forced apart during the application of the anchor to a rail.

4. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base and at the other end with a tongue bent outwardly toward the end of the device and adapted to engage the other edge of the rail; said tongue and means being positioned so that the distance between them is normally less than the distance they have to span when the anchor is applied.

5. A rail anchor comprising a body portion .formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base, at the other end with a shoulder for engaging the other edge of the rail and with a tongue portion intermediate the ends of the anchor formed so that it is flexed outwardly to clear the edge of the rail base during the application of the device to a rail.

6. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base, at the other end with a shoulder for engaging the other edge of the rail and with a tongue portion intermediate the ends of the anchor adapted to engage the upper surface of said rail base and be sub ected to a lateral strain when the anchor is applied to a rail.

7. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base, at the other end with a shoulder for engaging the other edge-of the rail and with a tongue portion intermediate the ends of the anchor adapted to engage the upper surface of said rail base and be subjected to lateral and vertical striiins when the anchor is applied to a mi 8. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base andat a point intermediate its ends with a tongue for engaging the other edge of the rail base; said means and tongue being formed so as to be forced apart and the body portion being adapted to be strained when the anchor is applied to a rail.

9. A rail anchor comprising a spring metal member formed at one end with a jaw to engage one edge of a rail base and at a point intermediate the ends of said member with an angularly disposed tongue, said tongue and jaw being formed so that they are forccol apart and said member subjected to a torsional strain when the anchor is applied to a rail.

10. A rail anchor comprising a spring metal member formed at one end with a jaw to engage one edge of a rail base and at a point intermediate the ends of said member with an angularly disposed tongue; said tongue and jaw being formed so that they are forced apart during the application of the device to the rail so as to permit said tongue to snap over the upper surface of said rail base.

11. A rail anchor comprising a spring metal member formed at one end with a jaw to engage one edge of the rail base, at the other end with a shoulder to engage the other edge of the rail base and at a point intermediate the ends of said member with an angularly disposed tongue; said tongue and jaw being formed so that they are forced apart and said member subjected to a torsional strain when the anchor is applied to a rail.

12. A rail anchor comprising a spring metal member, formed at one end with a jaw to engage one edge of a rail base, at the other end with a shoulder to engage the other edge of the rail base, and at a point intermediate said shoulder and the end of said member with an angularly disposed tongue; said tongue and jaw being formed so that they are forced apart and said member subjected to a torsional strain when the anchor is applied to a rail.

13. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed at one end with a jaw portion for engaging one edge of a rail and with means for engaging a tie, and formed at the other end with a shoulder for engaging the opposite edge of the rail and bent to provide a spring tongue intermediate said shoulder and the end of the anchor adapted to engage with the rail.

14. Improvement in the method of shearing a rail anchor from a sheet of metal by two shearing cuts, one of which forms a projection on the sheared edge, and the other of which cuts ofl? said projection,

which consists in making the cuts that form and remove said projection successively on lines which do not extend at sharp edges.

HAROLD, c. WARR.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent- NO. 1,419,333, granted June 13, 1922,

uponthe application of Harold G. Warr, of Park Ridge, Illinois, for animprovement in Rail Anchors, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 129, claim 14, for the word edges read angles,-

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signedand sealed this 3d day of October, A. D., 1922.

[5mm] WM. A. KINNAN,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

